It Always Rains in Estaran

5 Star Review

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Editorial Book Review:

By Walter Miller

It Always Rains in Estaran is a strikingly atmospheric and politically charged debut that captures the haunting aftermath of revolution with rare precision and moral depth. Murat Boyner invites readers into a world both familiar and foreign—one where the idealism that once inspired change begins to decay under the heavy rain of human ambition, grief, and compromise. The result is a meditation on power, memory, and what becomes of a nation when its revolutionaries outlive their revolution.

The experience of reading this book is akin to standing in the mist of Estaran itself—cool, agitated, and unable to turn away. Boyner's writing is characterized by a quiet intensity, and his worldbuilding is not achieved through grand exposition, but rather through the ache and disorientation of his characters, who are each striving to find purpose in a republic that has lost sight of its values. The narrative elicits a sense of empathy for those who are entangled in the machinery of change, as well as melancholy and astonishment.

Thematically, It Always Rains in Estaran speaks to universal cycles of hope and disillusionment. Boyner's narrative is a timeless and culturally relevant work, whether interpreted as a political allegory, a study of identity, or a lament for lost principles. His prose is restrained yet evocative, combining poetic subtlety with journalistic realism. The steady, cleansing, and occasionally suffocating cadence of his sentences is reminiscent of the relentless rain.

If there is a minor limitation, it is the book's deliberate tempo; at times, the density of its reflection can distance readers who are seeking faster momentum. However, this sluggishness is also its greatest asset—it necessitates introspection, thereby providing readers with profound insights.

In conclusion, It Always Rains in Estaran is a masterful examination of the human yearning for meaning in the aftermath of change and post-revolutionary identity. This book is a work that lingers long after the final page, as it is thoughtful, lyrical, and silently devastating.

About the Author 

Murat Boyner

Acar Murat Boyner is an author from Istanbul, Türkiye whose academic and creative roots are in political thought. He holds a BA in Government from Georgetown University, where he concentrated in political philosophy, a field that continues to shape his writing.

His writing often engages with themes of power and ideology.

His first novella, The Council (2022), a dramatic exploration of tyranny, was published by Assure Press.

His Turkish-language novella Neptün Müzakereleri (2022) (The Neptune Altercations), a work of philosophical science fiction, was published by İthaki, Türkiye's leading science fiction press.

His third and most ambitious work is:

It Always Rains in Estaran.